F1 News

Smedley not Massa's race engineer at Williams

Felipe Massa will not be reuniting with his usual race engineer in 2014.

There has been speculation that, because both Brazilian Massa and his well-known, long-time race engineer Rob Smedley are moving from Ferrari to Williams, they might reunite in their old working relationship at the Grove based team.

But it is believed Briton Smedley, who has been at Ferrari for ten years and is famous for his big-brotherly radio banter with Massa, has accepted an engineering role with greater responsibility at Williams.

Indeed, Williams confirmed that Massa will work directly with Andrew Murdoch this year, who was the Lotus-departed Pastor Maldonado's race engineer in 2013.

"I get on very well with Felipe," Massa's new Williams teammate, Finn Valtteri Bottas, said.

"He's a very nice guy and a great driver."

Meanwhile, Brazil's Globo reports that, having failed to find a race seat for 2014, rising Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr is now targeting a reserve and Friday seat at Williams.

"Unfortunately it (finding a race seat) did not work for financial reasons and due to my little experience," said Nasr, who finished last year's GP2 championship in fourth place.

"So the plan now is to try to be third driver in a middle team."

He said a place at Williams, working alongside his countryman Massa, would be "positive".

"With another Brazilian there I think it would make the exchange of information easier, so it is something that could happen. It is open," Nasr admitted.